Encouragement!

May 21, 2012

Dumalang, my wonderful friends!   I missed writing this week - I have been sick with a minor stomach virus, as well as living with the ringworm I also picked up, and we’ve had no internet since last Sunday, so it has been an interesting week!  We have also had a few power-outs every now and then. Yes, oh my, the ordinary hazards of daily living!  But I have also been able to do a lot of extensive research for my ethnography when I felt well enough to interview people from the town of Tlokweng.

Well, here’s some news -  Last Thursday I went again to visit the 32 years old lady who has lost both her arms and legs, so that I could work with her some more. It was cool - because she was very happy to see me as I was to see her!   She had really improved in her eating abilities, and the nurses told me that she has been trying to do as much for herself as she can, especially when it comes to feeding herself!  She herself told me how much of an encouragement I have been to her (praise God for that!), and how that has made her want to work harder at doing everything she could.  During lunch she showed me how she was able to pick up her own spoon and fork to feed herself. She did amazingly well, and I was so proud of her because of her refusal to give up! That day I taught her how to brush her teeth (without the toothpaste that is. I’ll bring that next week and show her how to get it onto the brush) as well as how to hold a chicken leg, and pour a can of coke into a cup. The chicken leg she struggled with, and kept dropping it, because her stump is still weak, so holding things isn’t very easy for her, but she slowly improved the more effort she made.  I loved watching her try, and laughing at herself when she messed up, rather than getting discouraged and giving up. The coke can was more of an effort for her, and she had to hold the can with both of her stumps, which was hard for her.  She kept trying but got too nervous when she tried to pour it into the cup, because she was afraid she would spill it all over her bedside table.  She had such a positive attitude about the whole experience and wants to push herself harder and harder. A few days later her therapist called me and told me how much she has improved, and that she (the therapist) wanted to sit in on our next session and watch how I work with her so that she could get ideas on how to help others with similar problems. Isn’t that great? To be used by God for one of his children is a great privilege. I am so glad for this chance.

 As I help her improve in her abilities I do feel the Lord’s presence in the midst of all of it. When I’m with her, or teaching the Bible stories with the children at St. Peters or doing Bible and art lessons with those at Cheshire, or witnessing to other people in my conversations,  I sense God’s most powerful work playing in me  - almost dancing for joy! - And I see again why my heart is drawn to missions.  This is really what I love doing – showing Jesus to everyone all the time in every way here.  I am NOT looking forward to returning to the states!

Speaking of ministry, I’m now getting together with some of the disabled students in the different schools to organize not one, but TWO disabled-student art shows for two different weekends in a row. Maurice, the original manager at Spar, moved on to become the manager at a larger grocery store at Airport Junction, and an Indian man by the name of DP became the new manager at Spar.  As time went by, the idea was sort of dropped. But once I met Komohelo’s mother (I have mentioned her before in the previous blogs) who is working at a school for the disabled, I told her my idea about an art show for the students.  I told her that I wanted to try to give them a chance as I had been given, to share their talents with others outside their school and family. They rarely have that opportunity. Through this, I’d hope that they would be recognized as competent people who can contribute to society. I so want them to get positive feedback and to see that their lives count – for God – and for others. The purpose of this was to affirm to them and to the audience that God has created all persons, in his image and for his glory. It is my desire, and I hope eventually others’ desire, that people look at us and our work - whatever it is - and realize that our disability does not define who we are. God does. Jesus Christ defines us.  I want us all to see each other as God’s creations, creations of God who makes us creative as well.

She agreed with this, so right now we are meeting with the school board about who will be presenting their art in the two shows!  After she and I talked, I got back in contact with Maurice and DP and they were both excited to open their stores for this - and so we now have dates when each show will take place; the first is on 26^th of May at Superspar in Gaborone, and the other will be the 2nd of June at Airport Junction. So as you can see, there is a lot to be done in a short amount of time, so I really do ask your prayers for these upcoming weeks as well as the artists and everyone else who is putting them together! I KNOW how much work goes into hanging a show – even a small one for students!  Pray that God will be glorified in these children’s’ art – and in the response they get when they show it – they will be very vulnerable – showing their heart to strangers like that – but they are eager to do it. Pray for them.  God will use them in some amazing way – I am sure of that!

Pray that we will all be faithful to anything that God asks of us – or invites of us. It is the way of gladness!

Sala Sentle!

               Minda